AMC Title 23 fire code and Anchorage Fire Department wildland-urban interface guidance require Hillside-area homeowners to clear flammable vegetation within 30 feet of structures, mirroring statewide AS 41.15 forestry practices.
Anchorage Hillside neighborhoods sit in a wildland-urban interface zone where black spruce, beetle-killed timber, and dry summers create extreme fire risk, as demonstrated by the 2019 McHugh Creek Fire. AFD recommends a 30-foot defensible-space radius with thinned conifers, removed dead branches, and noncombustible roofing. AMC Title 23 incorporates the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code with local amendments for Hillside Service Area properties. Alaska Division of Forestry Firewise Communities program provides cost-share assistance for chipping and tree removal, and AFD inspectors respond to complaints about overgrown parcels adjacent to occupied structures.
Failure to maintain defensible space after written AFD notice is a Title 23 violation carrying fines of $100 to $500 per day and abatement liens recorded against the parcel under AMC Title 16.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage has no specific ordinance regulating decorative lawn ornaments (statues, garden gnomes, flamingos, seasonal yard decor) at residential properties. ...
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage has no specific ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays (giant Santas, pumpkins, etc.) at single-family or two-family homes. T...
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage has no specific ordinance limiting residential holiday-light displays at single-family or two-family homes. Decorative lights generally fall outsid...
Anchorage, AK
Permanent outdoor kitchens in Anchorage are regulated under Title 23 (Anchorage Building Code, AK-amended 2018 IBC/IRC) and Title 21.05 accessory structure s...
Anchorage, AK
Pellet smokers, offset smokers, kamado-style (Big Green Egg), and any charcoal- or wood-fired smoker are treated as open-flame cooking devices under IFC §308...
Anchorage, AK
The Anchorage Fire Code (AMC Title 15, adopting the 2018 International Fire Code) enforces IFC §308.1.4 prohibiting open-flame cooking devices, charcoal burn...
See how Anchorage's defensible space rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.